Picture mount



June 24, 19410: cHlLCOTE 2,247,15U

PICTURE MOUNT Filed Dec: 28, 1940 1N VENTOR.

Y Lee :A. ChilcoteJ. M KAQM+QD M ATTORNEYJ'.

Patented June 24, 1941 PICTURE MOUNT Lee A. Chilcote, Beach-wood, Ohio, assignor to The Chilcote Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 28, 1940, Serial No. 372,139

.(fCl- 40-158) 4 Claims.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive picture mount that is attractive in appearance, is durable, and, by reason of its unique construction, facilitates the insertion of a photograph into it, and, without 7 the use of an adhesive, retains the photograph in place against accidental dislodgment or disarrangement.

Photographers engaged in volume production in the popular price field who have to mount a great number of photographs in the course of a day are enabled by this invention to greatly expedite their work and, at the same time, effect a substantial saving in labor over what is required when employing a prevailing mount of apparently similar type and wherein both the photograph and mat have to be glued, in turn, to the back member and care has to be exercised in properly positioning the photograph in the mount.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, Fig. 1 is a front view of a mount of the folder type, in open position, embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the back, incorporating cover flap and tab; Figs. 2

3 and 4 are similar views of the spacer and mat, respectively; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional details on the respective lines -5, 66 and 'l'! of Fig. 1, on a considerably enlarged scale, and Fig. 8 is a view, similar to Fig. 5, showing the manner of inserting a photograph.

The mount is constructed of a back A, a spacer B, and a mat 0, each made of cardboard of suitable grade and thickness.

According to the present embodiment, a cover flap a and a tab (2' are formed integral with and extend from the opposite ends of the back A and are separated therefrom by transverse scores (1 desirably impressed in what may be considered the rear surface of the piece of material constituting the foregoing parts so as to form forwardly embossed beads a one of which has a special function, as will presently appear.

The spacer B is U-shaped and is somewhat shorter and narrower than the back A and is attached to the back, as by means of a suitable adhesive, with its end and side edges equally spaced from the corresponding edges of the back. The spacer encloses on three sides a rectangular picture well I) that is slightly greater in area than the photograph or similar object intended to be accommodated by it, and to facilitate entrance of a photograph through the open side of the well, said side may be flared outwardly, as indicated at b.

Secured to the front side of the spacer, as by an adhesive, is the rectangular mat C. The mat is desirably of the same proportions but slightly smaller than the back A and is arranged centrally thereof so as to leave a margin about the mat, the back and mat preferably being of contrasting colors. The opening in the mat is considerably shorter and narrower than the picture well b so as to cause the mat to overhang the inner edges of the sides and bottom member of the spacer B; and the inner and outer edge portions 0 and 0, respectively, of the mat are deflected rearwardly so as to effect a very perceptible bevel. In fact, the depth of the bevel of the inner edge portion 0 is substantially equal to or very slightly less than the thickness of the spacer B so that the distance between said edge portion and the back A is less than the thickness of a photograph and when a photograph or the like is in the picture well b it will be held in place by the pressure exerted upon it by and between the back and said inner edge portion of the mat. The outer edge portion c maybe spaced a distance equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of a photograph from the back A, especially across the top where, in the present embodiment, the photograph is inserted into the picture well; and since this portion of the mat is disposed across the open side of the spacer and is therefore unsupported from beneath, the slot between the top edge of the mat and the adjacent surface of the back may in some cases exceed the normal or intended width, but in any case it is practically concealed by the adjacent bead 0. In practice the mat may be embellished with embossed beads, stripes or printed designs to impart to it an ornamental appearance. Such are omitted from the drawing for the sake of clearness.

When it is desired to insert a photograph or the like into the picture well, the cover flap a is bent backward, as in Fig. 8, so as to remove the adjacent bead a from over the entrance slot and the photograph P is pushed through the slot into the picture well, the flared open side of the latter guiding the photograph to position in the well and beneath the inner edge portion 0 of the mat, the latter yielding to the action of the photograph as it advances downwardly. In order to prevent the edge portion 0 across the bottom of the opening of the mat from interfering with advancement of the photograph to its final position in the picture well, such edge portion is spaced from the back to insure the passage of the leading edge of the photograph beneath it; and this is acto the adjacent edge portion a as the photograph bears to such portion along each side and across the top.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A picture mount comprising a cardboard back, a U-shaped spacer of cardboard secured to the front side thereof, the spacer enclosing on three sides a picture well, and a resilient cardboard mat secured to the front side of the spacer and having an opening that is smaller than the picture well and is in register therewith, the inner edge portion of the mat being deflected rear- Wardly and when in relaxed condition being in such relation to the back that, upon insertion of a photograph between it and the back, it is sprung forwardly and maintained under tension so as to hold the photograph in place against reasonable opposing force by the pressure imposed thereon by and between the back and such edge portion, and means maintaining the back in greater spaced relation to said edge portion adjacent the bottom of the U-shaped spacer than elsewhere.

2. A picture mount comprising a cardboard back, a U-shaped spacer of relatively thick cardboard secured to the front side thereof with its top, bottom and side edges spaced a material distance from the corresponding edges of the back, the spacer enclosing on three sides a picture well, and a comparatively thin resilient cardboard mat secured to the front side of the spacer, the mat having an opening that is smaller than the picture well and is in register therewith while the inner and outer edge portions of the mat are deflected rearwardly so as to produce a relatively heavy beveled edge effect, the inner edge portion, when in relaxed condition, being in such relation to the back that, upon insertion of a photograph between it and the back, it is sprung forwardly and maintained under tension so as to hold the photograph in place against reasonable opposing force by the pressure imposed thereon by and between the back and said inner edge portion.

3. A picture mount comprising a back, a U- shaped spacer secured to the front side thereof with its top, bottom and side edges spaced a material distance from the corresponding edges of the back, the spacer enclosing a picture well that opens through the top of the spacer, and a mat secured to the front side of the spacer and having an opening that is smaller than the picture Well and is in register therewith, the inner and outer edge portions of the mat being deflected rearwardly at an angle to effect beveled edges, the top edge of the mat defining, with the opposed portion of the back, a slot through which a photograph or the like is adapted to be inserted into the picture well, the back being formed with an integral cover flap extending from its upper edge and with an embossed bead separating said flap from the body portion of the back and which bead normally overhangs said slot.

4. A picture mount comprising a back, a U- shaped spacer secured to the front side thereof, the spacer enclosing on three sides a picture well, and a mat secured to the front side of the spacer and having an opening that is smaller than the picture well and is in register therewith, the inner edge portion of the mat being deflected rearwardly and being in such close relation to the back as to cause a photograph to be held in place against reasonable opposing force by the pressure imposed thereon by and between the back and said edge portion, the back being formed with forwardly projecting means that underlies the sides of the spacer adjacent the side of the picture well remote from its open side thereby to maintain the back in greater spaced relation to the corresponding part of the inner edge portion of the mat than it bears to the remainder of such edge portion.

LEE A. CHILCGTE. 

